Blackhall Banner Group fundraiser celebrates our history and heritage

Blackhall Banner Group members held their latest fundraising event in Blackhall Community Centre last Saturday afternoon and evening with the aim of raising funds to pay for subsidised transport to *Durham Big Meeting. 

The fantastic Hartlepool duo Jonny & Joanie topped the bill at the event and were supported by Blackhall's own Emma Crute who performed in front of a local Blackhall audience for the very first time. 

Anyone who came along to the banner group's event last year will tell you that Jonny & Joanie are a huge attraction to any event and never fail to get the crowd going with their mix of working-class folk songs, ska classics and many other well known and much-loved songs.

To get the event of to a flying start Emma hit the ground running in her first performance on home soil with renditions of hits by Amy Winehouse, Lady Gaga, Bonnie Tyler and many more. The reception from the audience on the night showed that both acts went down a storm.

The evening also included a quiz and raffle which attracted some great prizes - with the star prize being a unique hand-crafted table lamp which was kindly donated by Sharon Bell, a hugely talented local lass who comes up with some fantastic ideas for home furnishings. Once again food was provided during the event by fantastic local company Star Bakes run by Stacey and Omide who kindly donated profits to the Banner Group. 

Members of the Blackhall Banner Group would like to thank Alison and the staff at Blackhall Community Centre for hosting our event at a first-class local venue. We also give our thanks to Jonny & Joanie for their fantastic entertainment and continued support for the group - and thanks also go to Emma for a great set-list and a performance which really hit home with the audience at her first local function.

But most of all the gratitude of the Blackhall Banner Group members goes to the members of the public who came along from far and wide to support our fundraiser. We recognise that times are hard for many people, so to see such generosity on the night was heart-warming. We hope they enjoyed the show as much as we did.

Finally we must acknowledge the community spirit that filled the hall last Saturday evening. It gives us hope that as long as our residents hold so much pride in our community, and are prepared to come along to celebrate its proud working class history and mining heritage, we will remain strong and resilient for years to come. 

That community solidarity is our strength, and it shows we all have more in common than will ever divide us. That sense of togetherness has served us well for over 100 years and it'll see us through the next 100 years too. As our DMA banners tell us: Unity is Strength - and last weekend we proved that to be a fitting epithet for Blackhall, Hesleden and the rest of our County Durham mining communities. 

*The Big Meeting this year will be held on Saturday 12 July. We look forward to seeing you there!

Concerns raised with police and highways authority about dangerous driving practices on the B1281

Yesterday I contacted officers in the police traffic management team to raise concerns on behalf of residents about vehicles driving the wrong way round the roundabout adjacent to the ongoing housing development on the B1281 in Blackhall Colliery. Full background details can be found in this link: Stamping out dangerous driving on the B1281 roundabout

I have now received a response from the police in which drivers and cyclists are advised they can now forward any footage of dangerous or irresponsible driving to the police direct. I've published their response here, where details of *OPERATION SNAP be found:

Because there appears to be no specific times of day or days of the week when contravention occurs regularly, regretfully it is a difficult matter for us to enforce without having officers stationed there on a regular basis which realistically isn’t achievable due to the many and varied demands on officers and as mentioned above we can’t use ANPR cameras for enforcement of traffic offences.

In recognising that we can’t be everywhere at once and wanting to do more for our communities,  to assist in our quest to identify dangerous drivers and deal with them appropriately, we are looking to the public to assist us.

We have therefore developed a process, in line with other forces nationally, under the label “OPERATION SNAP” whereby road users can submit dashcam/video or head cam footage of road traffic incidents, including drivers travelling on the wrong side of a roundabout, to our Roads and Armed Policing Unit through our online portal contained within the Durham Constabulary website.  This would need to be done within 7 days of the alleged offence. Any footage uploaded will be reviewed by a team of specialist officers who can take follow up enforcement action where necessary.

So, we would encourage anyone with video footage of dangerous driving practices including this driving concern, where a clear registration is shown, to report it to us so we can consider follow up attention.

I would assure you though, if a driver is seen by an officer travelling on the wrong side of the roundabout during routine patrols in the area then they would look to take action as appropriate.

I hope this goes some way to addressing the matter you have raised.

To be on the safe side I've also written again to the council's highways department to alert the to these recent concerns of local residents about the potential risk of injury caused by confusion of irresponsible and dangerous driving on the B1281. 

I'm aware that modifications to the road and roundabout were carried out last year after I'd raised similar concerns with them on behalf of residents, but I've asked them to consider which additional measures might be installed to improve road safety and reduce the risk of accidents at this location. 

*Full details about OPERATION SNAP can be found in this link: Operation Snap | Durham Constabulary

Stamping out dangerous driving on the B1281 roundabout

A resident raised concerns on social media today about dangerous driving practices at the roundabout on the B1281 in Blackhall Colliery. It was reported that vehicles driving westwards out of Blackhall towards Hesleden and the A19 at Castle Eden were deliberately being driven the wrong way round the roundabout and putting lives at risk.

Most of the comments on the social media post referred to 'idiots', 'a***holes' and 'stupid people' so clearly residents are calling out irresponsible drivers who are deliberately driving the wrong way round the roundabout. That fits with just about every comment and complaint I've received about this matter too, so residents are pretty clear that dangerous driving is entirely to blame for this senseless practice.

However, regardless of where the blame lies, the risk of serious injury or worse from people driving dangerously at this location is a problem that faces every one of us, so we need a collective response if we are to stamp it out. We can all play our part.

As we all know dangerous driving is a criminal offence, so whenever residents see drivers deliberately taking this roundabout on the wrong side of the road it should be reported to the police. In the meantime I'll raise these latest reported incidents with the police directly for their attention, with a request for CCTV or ANPR cameras to be installed if it will help stop this dangerous practice.

If you see someone driving dangerously at this location please contact the police on 101 or 999 depending on the urgency or seriousness of the incident. Full details about dangerous driving and how to report it can be found in this link: How to report dangerous driving | The AA

Fence repairs on Middle Street

For some time residents have reported the damaged and unsightly fence on Middle. Street for repair. The fence has been broken, repaired and broken again many times, and after recent stormy weather it was left in a precarious position near the edge of the footpath.

When the Community Action Team was in the village for a time-limited project recently, the Parish Council took the opportunity to carry out full replacement works, which has left the place looking much more attractive. The new fence is also safer and secure against further damage.

The works were carried out after the fence was relocated just a few inches towards the pavement, which then placed it on publicly-owned land on the council’s seating area. Several residents have been in touch since the works were completed last week to say how much the area has improved in appearance.

The parish council’s estates manager has also told me that additional works are currently being carried out at the site in front of the council’s new fence. These include a new bin and bench to be installed later this week, alongside new shrubs and bedding plants.

Well done to all at Monk Hesleden Parish Council and the Community Action Team for a great piece of work that has had a hugely positive impact on our streetscene.

Local Issues and Casework Update for March 2025

Since my most recent local issues and casework update report last month I’ve raised over 120 queries with the authorities on behalf of residents and businesses across the Blackhall ward. I've also been in direct contact with more than 124 individual residents. Almost all of these queries are personal and/or confidential so for obvious reasons details cannot and will not be disclosed to the public.

In addition, I’ve dealt with a number of general queries raised by members of the public. These include issues raised at ward surgeries, during street walkabouts, at the monthly Blackhall PACT meeting and through other methods, including direct contact with me via telephone, email and my social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky).

The main issues covered this month include plans for an exciting new play area at Blackhall Welfare Park, Durham County Council urged to suspend parking charges at Crimdon to avoid traffic chaos this summer and plans for a PACT meeting in Hesleden. I’ve selected just a few of the articles about these issues for re-posting, just in case you missed them first time around.

Please follow the links below for full details. If you have any queries or comments that require a response please get in touch with me direct at: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk

Blackhall Banner Group Fundraiser The 2025 Blackhall Banner Group Fundraiser

Restoration works at Hesleden Pit Heap Restoration works at the former pit heap site in Hesleden

Exciting new play area at Blackhall Welfare Park Children reveal exciting new plans for Blackhall Welfare Park play area

Residents deserve a level playing field in fight against Benridge Solar Farm Residents deserve a level playing field in fight against Benridge Solar Farm

Local issues update Another busy weekend on the streets

PACT meeting for Hesleden A PACT meeting for Hesleden

Durham County Council warned of traffic chaos this summer Durham County Council urged to suspend parking charges at Crimdon

On the streets, meeting residents and addressing local issues Meeting residents and dealing with local issues

Making the most of the spring weather Lighter nights and warmer weather mean more community engagement

Lighter nights and warmer weather mean more community engagement

As residents will know already I’ve been active in our community for many years. By living here and being visible on the streets regularly I have the perfect opportunity to meet with residents and talk to them face to face about any issues they might have.

Over the past week or so we’ve seen a marked improvement in the weather, and along with the return of the lighter nights that means I’ve been able to get out and about a bit more than usual.

In that time alone I’ve met with dozens of residents and I’ve reported almost 40 individual local issues to the relevant authorities for their attention. These include fly-tipping, litter and potholes in a number of streets, abandoned bins at the Scheme Houses, a blocked drain at the Aged Miners’ Homes, vermin at one or two empty properties and a couple of incidents of anti-social behaviour.

Mattress abandoned at Corry Close was removed within 24 hours

Television set dumped at the Scheme Houses, and now removed

Broken glass was cleared from the steps at the Scheme Houses

Road defects at The Crescent, reported for repair and included in the work programme

Long-term empty property at the Scheme Houses reported to the empty homes team

Watch out for my full monthly update on local issues and casework post which I’ll publish on these pages in the next day or so.

As ever, if you have any issues you would like me to know about please get in touch with me at: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk

Meeting residents and dealing with local issues

It was another fine day yesterday to get out on the streets again to talk with lots of residents about local issues and the things that affect them in our community.

It was especially good to meet up with old friends I hadn’t seen for a while and also to talk with quite a few residents I met for the first time.

Almost all the craic we had was positive about local matters, and there were also lots of issues to report, ranging from long-term empty properties and a few incidents of littering and fly-tipping to abandoned bins and a few highways issues.

All the issues raised yesterday have now been reported for the attention of the council and the other agencies who work alongside them in the community.

I’m now looking forward to another few days out and about - and hopefully with more warm and sunny weather!

A PACT meeting for Hesleden

Last week the Hesledens Residents’ Association held its annual meeting in Hesleden WMC, and as usual I went along as the local councillor to help out where I could and Stacey attended as a resident of the village.

During the meeting residents asked if it would be possible to hold a PACT (Police & Communities Together) meeting in Hesleden so that residents would be able to raise any local issues directly with the police.

I contacted the police the next day and they have agreed that a PACT meeting for Hesleden would be a good idea. I’ve passed them the contact details for Claire Brown from the HRA and they are making arrangements to get something off the ground as soon as possible.

I’ll update on developments as soon as I have more information from either Claire of the police.

Durham County Council urged to suspend parking charges at Crimdon

Last week I was contacted by several residents and visitors to Crimdon reporting cars parked along the access road to the sea front from the junction on the A1086 Coast Road.

Regular readers of these pages will be aware that parking charges came into force last week after the coalition in control of Durham County Council thought it would be a good idea to make people pay to visit Crimdon. This was despite my objections when I spoke against the charges at a meeting of the Highways committee in county hall last year. Full details can be found in this link: Coalition to impose parking charges at Crimdon

The problem now for the council is that visitors to Crimdon are opting to avoid the charges by parking instead along the access road, and because the road doesn’t belong to the council there’s not much they can do about it. Unfortunately this is creating a problem for someone else, someone who didn’t have a problem until the coalition decided to impose parking charges along the sea front.

I’ve contacted senior officers at Durham County Council requesting a meeting with the relevant people to see what they’re going to do to put things right. In the meantime I’ve urged the council to suspend the parking charges with immediate effect until a solution is found to this problem. Whether they'll agree to do that is to be seen, but I think something needs to be done to address a problem that is only likely to get worse now that the lighter nights are here again.

I’ll update on progress as soon as I have more information.

Another busy weekend on the streets

As most local residents will already know I'm out on the streets regularly, talking to people and spotting any local issues early before they become a problem, so I usually have a lot of issues to report every day. However, I've been out and about leafleting almost all day, every day since last Friday so I've had an extended opportunity over the weekend to talk directly with residents about the issues that affect them and their neighbourhoods.

The general feeling is that things are improving, although that doesn't conceal the fact that there's always more to do especially where litter and fly-tipping are concerned. Another key issue is the condition of some of the properties in the numbered streets in Blackhall Colliery, although many residents have acknowledged a marked improvement since the Community Action Team project went live last month. 

Residents have also commented on the number of empty properties now on the market after some of the more irresponsible absent landlords have been driven out of the village since the selective licensing scheme came into effect. The intention of the scheme is to register private-rented sector landlords and then hold them to account if their properties fall into disrepair or their tenants cause any disruption. On these issues alone there have been some significant and visible improvements.

In addition, the CAT scheme has included regular street walkabouts to identify where the main problems are identified and addressed within days, alongside a campaign to ask residents to identify their three main priorities and then encourage them to report any concerns to the council or the CAT team for their attention. The main issues identify littering, dog fouling and rubbish abandoned in the open yards of empty properties. 

I'm due to meet with the CAT team later this week to assess the impact the CAT team has had in the village, and I’ll give an update towards the end of this week. But in the meantime I've reported quite a few additional issues over the past few days for the attention of the relevant agencies (ie, the police and neighbourhood wardens etc). I’ve listed some of these issues below.

A resident has asked me to find out what happened to the public bench that used to be next to the bus shelter on the Coast Road at the top of Poplar Avenue. The seat was reported to be well-used and residents asked if it could be replaced.

Residents in Hepscott Avenue told me about litter and fly-tipping along the front of the street, along with reports of rubbish piled into the back yards of some of the empty properties.

I was also told about a number of incidents of fly-tipping and littering in some of the streets and back lanes and also on the steps between the Scheme Houses and the A1086 Coast Road. 

A number of residents also got in touch over the weekend to tell me about parked vehicles causing an obstruction on the public footpath near the community centre on Hesleden Road. This appears to be developing into a regular problem where some cases vehicles are completely blocking the footpath forcing people into the road to get past.

These issues have all been reported to the council and police over the past few days for their attention.

Residents deserve a level playing field in fight against Benridge Solar Farm

An article in the Northern Echo recently suggested that a proposal to install a solar farm on agricultural land at Benridge would not require an Environmental Impact Assessment if a planning application were to be submitted by the development company with an interest in the site, which lies just off Fillpoke Lane between High Hesleden and Crimdon. 

I've never before come across something like this, which appears to imply that a huge development in the open countryside would have no adverse impact on the environment - something I'm sure most people would find preposterous. 

At first I'd thought the Northern Echo article had been misunderstood, so the response I received from the planning office was completely unexpected and gives a new perspective on what might lie ahead for those of us who have genuine concerns about the development. 

I've published the complete correspondence below, showing first my query to the planning department, with their response following: 

Good morning,

I was told of an article in the Northern Echo earlier this week that suggested if the company proposing to construct a solar farm on land adjacent to Fillpoke Lane submitted a full planning application to the LPA an Environmental Impact Assessment would not be required.

Since the article was published several local residents have contacted me alarmed at the prospect of a planning proposal being determined without an EIA. I'm inclined to agree with them that if the council is eventually to determine a planning application without the benefit of an EIA it would deprive members of the planning committee the opportunity to properly scrutinise the potential impact on the countryside of a proposal of this nature.

It would also have an adverse impact on local businesses and residents who might oppose the application and who would not be able to comment on how a solar farm at this location would have a detrimental effect on the environment. I fear that if local members and residents were to comment on the environmental impact without reference to an EIA it would carry no weight with members of the planning committee, thereby lending bias in favour of the applicant.

Could you clarify the council's stance on this issue please.

I received this response from the planning office:

I can confirm that a ‘Screening Opinion’ request under Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (EIA Regulations) was submitted and a decision issued by the planners for the proposed development. As you might be aware, through a ‘Screening Opinion’ the Council only decides whether a proposed development is likely to have a significant effect on the environment and therefore requires a formal assessment under the EIA Regulations.

Details in relation to ‘Screening Opinions’ can be found in the following link: Environmental Impact Assessment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).  The Council's Screening Opinion for this proposal is that it would not be likely to have significant effects on the environment and would not therefore require EIA.  However, the EIA process is separate to the assessment of a planning application and it does not mean that the Council considers that there would be no effects from the development and that therefore the application will automatically be approved. Rather any environmental effects would be fully considered at planning application stage as is the case with any planning application.

Please be assured that any planning application would need to be accompanied by the information necessary in order to allow the Council to fully assess the development which would, amongst other matters, include landscape and visual impact assessment and ecological assessments.  Just because a development is not considered to be EIA development does not mean that it is not fully scrutinised and assessed.

In addition should a planning application be received then the Council would carry out the necessary publicity in accordance with planning procedures, including being advertised in the press, site notices and neighbour notification letters to properties in the vicinity of the sites.  The application would be available to view on the Council’s website and members of the public would then be able to make representations on the proposals direct to the Council and discuss any concerns with Planning Officers.  Consultations would also be undertaken with statutory consultees and the Council’s specialist advisors.

The Screening Opinion can be viewed on the Council’s website at: https://publicaccess.durham.gov.uk/online-applications/search.do?action=simple&searchType=Application and searching on SCR/25/00008.  Due to the configuration of the system the  screening request is referred to as an ‘application’ but as per the above explanation it is not a planning application as such. 

It's quite staggering that a local planning authority could even consider that a planning application of this nature would have no impact on the environment, so I'm sure many will agree with me that the planning system is not fit for purpose on this particular issue.

When I first raised the prospect of us having a bit of a fight on our hands if we were to oppose a solar farm at Benridge, I never thought for one minute that the dice would be so obviously loaded against us from the start. It looks as though we're going to have to fight for a level playing field before the planning process even begins! 

I'll be in touch with the planning office again next week to press for some formal process within the planning system that allows residents to have a fair say on this potential development.

Children reveal exciting new plans for Blackhall Welfare Park play area

Along with members of the parish council Stacey and I met with pupils from Blackhall Primary School yesterday afternoon when the children revealed the design they had selected for the new play area to be installed soon in Blackhall Welfare Park.

Stacey and I were delighted to be able to help with grants from the Neighbourhood Budget which, together with funding from the National Lottery Fund and Monk Hesleden Parish Council, will provide the necessary financial support for this scheme to go ahead.

Works on the play area are expected to begin in the next few months and are scheduled to be completed in time for the start of the school summer holidays in July.

We're sure that residents will join us in thanking the students from Blackhall Primary School for their help, and for selecting such an exciting new play scheme for the Welfare Park.

Land clearance works behind the Esso service station

A couple of weeks ago I made enquiries with the planning department at county hall on behalf of residents who had raised concerns about groundworks that had begun on land around the Esso service station in Blackhall. Background details can be found in this link: Clearance works on land behind the Esso service station in Blackhall

In general, local residents had welcomed the clearance of the land opposite Coronation Avenue, which was in a very poor condition and had been left exposed after a perimeter wall collapsed there last summer. Background details can be found in this link: Wall collapse at Coronation Avenue

When I contacted the planning department I asked for an investigation to be carried out to determine the purpose of the works and also to confirm the planning status of the land to the rear of the service station. I asked for clarity on this issue because rumours had started circulating that the land was to be used for a housing development, which as far as I was aware had received no planning consent.

I've now received a post-enforcement update confirming that the land has no planning consent for housing development. I've reproduced a summary of the enforcement officer's response below: 

Good morning Rob

I refer to your recent enquiry regarding the above site. I can confirm that I carried out a site visit on 27^th February 2025 and noted that clearance works had indeed taken place, with the removal of vegetation and possibly some levelling of the land, however this does not constitute development and therefore it was concluded that no breaches of planning regulation had taken place.

I can also confirm that no planning consent has been granted for any development on the site, no planning applications are waiting to be determined and no pre-application enquiries have been received for the site.

Kind regards

Restoration works at the former pit heap site in Hesleden

I was contacted by residents yesterday afternoon and last night asking why new signage had been erected at the site of the former pit heap in Hesleden. I suggested that the signs had been installed as part of plans to restore the site after works ceased there earlier this year.

However, to be on the safe side I contacted the council’s planning department this morning and they have confirmed that restoration works were underway and that the signs were erected by contractors working on behalf of the site owner to meet the requirements of the planning enforcement notice issued last year.

You can find background information about this issue in this link: Restoration works underway at the former Hesleden pit heap site

The 2025 Blackhall Banner Group Fundraiser

Members of the Blackhall Banner Group met again last night to put the finishing touches to their plans for next month's fundraising event to mark the 40th Anniversary of the end of the Miners' Strike and also celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Banner Group itself, which we first established in August 2000 to act as custodians of the banner and to promote the culture, heritage and legacy of coal mining in our communities.

The Blackhall DMA banner at the 2024 Durham Miners’ Gala

This year's event will be held on Saturday 5 April at Blackhall Community Centre (formerly the Miners' Welfare Hall) and will include live acts alongside a quiz, photo display, raffle prizes and food and drink.

All money raised will go towards providing subsidised transport to Durham Big Meeting, which will be held this year on Saturday 12 July.

Full details of the fundraiser will be released soon, but in the meantime mark the 5 April in your diary!  

Details of last year's banner group fundraising event can be found here: Blackhall Banner Group 2024 Fundraiser

Local Issues & Casework Update for February 2025

Since my most recent monthly local issues and casework update report I’ve raised queries with the authorities on behalf of 84 residents and businesses across the Blackhall ward. I've also made direct contact with more than 96 individual residents. Almost all of these queries are personal and/or confidential so for obvious reasons details cannot and will not be disclosed to the public.

In addition, I’ve dealt with a number of general queries raised by members of the public. These include issues raised at ward surgeries, during street walkabouts, at the monthly Blackhall PACT meeting and through other methods, including direct contact with me via telephone, email and my social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky).

The main issues covered this month include proposals for a solar farm on Fillpoke Lane, restoration works underway at the Hesleden pit heap site,  parking scheme works in Blackhall Colliery and enforced parking charges at Crimdon sea front. I’ve selected a few of the articles about these issues for re-posting, just in case you missed them first time around.

Please follow the links below for full details. If you have any queries or comments that require a response please get in touch with me direct at: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk

• A company has announced that it wants to construct a solar farm at Benridge, just off Fillpoke Lane between Crimdon and High Hesleden: Solar Farm proposal at Fillpoke Lane

• Following concerns I've raised on behalf of Hesleden residents the planning office at county hall has confirmed that restoration works are underway at the former pit heap site in the village: Restoration works underway at the former Hesleden pit heap site

• Roadworks are underway in the back lane between St Joseph's RC primary school and the Aged Miners' Homes in Blackhall Colliery to resurface the road and reinstate road markings: Road works at St Joseph's RC Primary

• The next phase of a safer parking initiative has begun after double yellow lines were installed to prevent parking at problem locations in Blackhall Colliery. Police have since confirmed that the parking enforcement team will be asked to increase patrols in the area: Safer Parking in Blackhall Colliery

• The company proposing to construct the solar farm at Benridge has begun a 3-week public consultation exercise to gauge the views of residents and businesses: Company launches 3 week public consultation on Benridge Solar Farm plan

• Council Tax is set to increase by 4.99% in County Durham after the ruling Coalition in county hall received the full backing of their former Tory party allies who have since defected to Reform UK: Reform UK supports Tory-led Coalition to hike Council Tax

• Works to clear the land behind the Esso service station on the A1086 got underway last week, with the landowner reported to be preparing the land for housing. The planning enforcement section at the county council has established an investigation after they confirmed they had no record of planning permission for the site: Clearance works on land behind the Esso service station in Blackhall

• After Coalition members voted in a highways committee meeting last year to introduce parking charges along the sea front in Crimdon, the council has confirmed that the charges will be imposed from 5 March: Coalition to introduce parking charges at Crimdon from 5 March

• The monthly Blackhall PACT meeting was held on Wednesday 26 February where a number of local issues were discussed: Blackhall PACT meeting for February 2025

Blackhall PACT meeting for February 2025

Last night was another busy one as I met with local residents, the police and neighbourhood wardens at a couple of monthly meetings held to discuss a range of issues going on in our villages. 

As usual I attended the monthly meeting of the parish council's environment committee where I report on any local environmental issues raised with me as the county councillor, and then discuss with parish councillors and the parish clerk the best way to address any local concerns.

Following the parish environment committee I attended the monthly Blackhall PACT meeting where residents come along to report any local issues to the police and neighbourhood wardens. I always attend PACT meetings in my capacity as the local county councillor, just in case there are any matters raised that might need my help. It also cuts down on duplication of work where sometimes similar issues are reported to me and the police separately. I've highlighted below some of the issues raised last night.

1. Safer Parking in Blackhall Colliery: 

An update was given on the latest phase in a series of schemes to install double-yellow lines in locations where residents have reported concerns about problem parking. The police have confirmed that they'll do what they can to address any issues raised by residents about the application of the scheme, including an additional request for the parking enforcement team to increase patrols in the village. Background details can be found in this link: Safer Parking in Blackhall Colliery

2. Land clearance at Coronation Avenue: 

I gave an update on a report from residents last week that land behind the Esso service station was being cleared in preparation for a housing scheme. After I'd raised concerns with the planning office on behalf of residents the county council confirmed that the scheme appears to have no planning permission. Background details can be found here: Clearance works on land behind the Esso service station in Blackhall

3. Public footpath query: 

I received a report of a defective public footpath on East Street where it is reported that a resident tripped recently. I have reported this to the council's highways section with a request that the path is made safe again.

4. Proposed solar farm at Benridge, Fillpoke Lane: 

An update was given on plans to construct a solar farm on land at Fillpoke Lane between High Hesleden and Crimdon. Although it was felt that solar farms were generally acceptable in the right place, significant concerns had been raised locally that the proposed development was in the wrong place and that it would have an adverse visual impact on an otherwise attractive local landscape.

I reported that I had been contacted by several local residents over the past week or so expressing their concerns that the proposal would be a blight on the landscape and that it would take up land that should be preserved for food production. These were pretty much the same concerns that I had raised a few years ago when similar plans were revealed to construct a solar farm on land just off the A19 at Sheraton. Background details about this issue can be found here: Company launches 3 week public consultation on Benridge Solar Farm plans

5. Roadworks at St Joseph's RC primary school: 

I gave an update on ongoing works to resurface a section of the highway at the entrance to St Joseph's school in preparation for eroded road markings to be reinstated. The resurfacing works were completed earlier this week ready for the re-lining works to take place.

6. Traffic-calming works at Station Road, Blackhall Rocks: 

I reported that I had received confirmation from the highways department that they had now received the funding I had put in place, and that works to fully reinstate the speed humps were expected to be ordered by the end of next month at the latest.

I asked for these works to be carried out after a local resident from Station Road raised a petition last year which was signed by almost 100 residents in Blackhall Rocks concerned that the reduced height of the speed humps meant they were no longer effective. This is a note of the confirmation:

We were awaiting confirmation of the funding which I received this month.

I have a member of my team allocated to start the process on their return from annual leave next week.

As previously stated, no consultation/legal process is required for this scheme as we are simply replacing the existing traffic calming. Therefore, we will just be completing a design and ordering the works.

I will provide an update to [Councillor Crute] when the works are ordered, we will be aiming to order the work by end of March at the latest.

Background details to how this scheme came about can be found in this link: Funding in place to reinstate the speed humps on Station Road

7. Off-road bikes in Blackhall and Hesleden: 

Queries were raised by residents about problems associated with quads and off-road bikes in Blackhall and Hesleden. The police updated on ongoing works through their OP Endurance initiative, which is designed to apprehend off-road bikers and identify locations where bikes are kept overnight. 

I asked for an update on what was being done to address residents' concerns about this issue, and asked which were the locations most reported by residents. The police confirmed that they had began a series of targeted operations to tackle off-road bike issues in several locations, including on the beach banks and on the roads between Blackhall Colliery, High Hesleden and Hesleden.

8. Community Action Team (CAT) update: 

Officers from the Community Action Team attended the PACT meeting to give an update on their 12 week project in Blackhall Colliery. It was reported that over 200 individual jobs had been raised following consultation and contact with local residents since the initiative began last month. The main priorities identified by residents included fly-tipping in the back yards of a number of properties in the former colliery streets, empty properties and dog fouling.

It was reported by the CAT team that the yards of several private-rented sector properties had now been cleared and that a number of empty private properties have now been put up for sale. Now that many of the yards were cleared of rubbish I urged the team to ensure wherever possible that the owner made their property secure to prevent any future incidents of fly-tipping.

The team also reported that the neighbourhood wardens were targeting a number of locations where dog fouling had been reported by residents as a particular issue.

9. Parking Charges at Crimdon: It was reported that the county council had confirmed recently that a scheme to introduce parking charges would take effect on 5 March. It's fair to say that this confirmation was not welcomed, and that there still remained considerable local opposition to a charging regime that would likely have a damaging impact locally. 

As someone who has opposed the coalition's plans to impose parking charges from the very start I share the concerns of the many visitors, businesses and local residents that this scheme will deter people from coming to Crimdon and the rest of the Durham coast, and in so doing is likely to have a detrimental impact on businesses in nearby villages. Background details can be found here: Coalition to introduce parking charges at Crimdon from 5 March

That's a brief summary of some of the issues we covered last night. The next PACT meeting for Blackhall will be held on 26 March, but in the meantime if you have any issues you would like us to know about please let me or Stacey know and we'll raise them with the the appropriate agencies. We can be contacted at: rob.crute@durham.gov.uk or stacey.deinali@durham.gov.uk